Times...

Times get tough
so the tough get going...
you cut back what you must
but you hang tough
bull it through
don't beg handouts
nor make excuses
just make do.

Man its COLD.
A phone was nice
back when I had people to call
friends, I had good friends,
some family - they used to live nearby
- they moved out Texas way
following the jobs they said.
A nickel a minute isn't much
less you're hungry
so the calls slowly ceased...
you get forgotten when you don't HAVE
to give -
forgotten and lost.
Keeping local service
thirteen dollars
not much
but
only telemarket calls and schemes anyway
no great loss.
Pay phone is just down the road a bit -
I used to like walking.

Its warm
here
for a change...
weather MUST be changing.
Strange how you get so used
to being cold
to being old.
I kept it at 60 -
inside...
til the oil ran out.
Furnace shut off -
One-fiftynine a gallon
they said
250 gallon minimum
they said
cash on delivery ONLY
they said...
but man its COLD
said I
and silence was all I heard
damn
and I walked back home.

Electricity is just the quietest thing
turn the oven to preheat
leave the door open a bit...
listening to the squeek and squeal
of metal move.
It almost works
but can't leave IT on -
don't leave NOTHING ON
bills too high as it is -
all that price and fuel adjustment
added on and on -
charges for just being alive,
but MAN its COLD.

Wear clothes in layers
is what they say...
blankets too...
air pockets keep the warmth -
but the body wears down
tired you know
too old for this
and it snowed
again
hard lil crystal shards
the grey clear gleam of ice coating
not even the big fluffy flakes.

Five days of grey -
neighbor's lights cross the street
glowing bright
beckoning... holding my eyes...
but I don't know
them -
strangers all
they wouldn't even answer "Hello's"
when they moved in.
When I walked by...
mean kids laughed at me
just pointed and laughed
- when I lost my dog I asked
yes I did, but no one cared
- they even broke my mailbox
snapped the pole at the ground
- dumped my trash
- broke some windows too,
I saved the stones they threw
evidence you know
but the cops didn't care,
I didn't SEE the who
do what they do...
just live with the after is all.

I'm tired...
thought the pipes would have froze
left water trickling at all the faucets
running water doesn't freeze they say -
but dripping water does...
makes the damnedest patterns
til droplets touch all the way.
I turned off the well pump yesterday
saved the pipes...
tired...
its warmer now...
sleepy-warm
about time the weather changed
I hate the grey
swear its brighter out
warmer out...
maybe I can go
out
in the warmer
... its warmer now
its ok... here... sleepy
here... quiet... here...
here
here
h

Chris Twyford
Ancient117331